A Houston man has been sentenced to more than 11 years in federal prison for possessing bulk quantities of crystal methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Devon Shermaine Rhodes, 45, pleaded guilty on September 15. U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison ordered Rhodes to serve 135 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. During sentencing, Rhodes requested a 46-month sentence and denied discarding drugs or driving dangerously at the time of his arrest. The court rejected this request after reviewing video evidence and considering his criminal record, the risks associated with crystal methamphetamine, and the threat he posed to the community.
Authorities observed a drug transaction involving Rhodes at a fast-food restaurant on November 8, 2022. Earlier that day, he had paid over $10,000 in cash for about five kilograms of crystal methamphetamine.
When law enforcement attempted a traffic stop, Rhodes fled at speeds reaching 100 mph and threw multiple kilograms of methamphetamine out of his car window during the pursuit. A subsequent search uncovered additional amounts of the drug in his vehicle.
Rhodes remains in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from several agencies including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations; FBI; Harris County Sheriff’s Office; and Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shelley J. Sullivan prosecuted the case.
“Operation All Gas No Brakes is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion,” according to officials involved in this effort. “The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad.” They added: “Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes these organizations commit, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders.” Special emphasis is placed on investigating crimes involving children as well as prosecuting violent criminal aliens.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas leads prosecutions such as this one from its headquarters in Houston (official website). The office covers 43 counties from Houston to the Mexican border—serving an area with over nine million residents (official website). It works closely with federal, state and local law enforcement partners (official website) to prosecute federal crimes like drug trafficking while also representing government interests in civil matters (official website).
The Southern District office employs more than 200 attorneys (official website) who handle cases throughout its jurisdiction since its establishment as a judicial district in 1902 (official history page). Its leaders are appointed by the President with Senate confirmation (official website), and past notable figures include Alamdar Hamdani (2022–2025) among others (official history page).
